Static Cling on Seed Envelopes...HELP!

Can anyone please tell me how to minimize static cling of seeds to a plastic seed envelope? How do you remove all the seeds from an envelope when they are sticking to the inside?
Can you put anything inside the envelope (like a little sheet of Bounce or Snuggles) that won't harm the seeds?
Thanks in advance...
SL

If you have a plant mister maybe a little shot of plain water might work and tap them out onto a paper towel to dry off.

I have had that to happen before on just my regular sandwhich bags and I usually just rub it between my hands and then it takes away the static.
Might give it a try on the seed bags.

If I am at the point of sowing these seeds, I just add a bit of my planting medium, zip the bag shut, shake it up, and sow the works, the seeds come right out with the "soil". That way I don't lose valuable seeds in the packet. Legit

Thanks All!!

Sorry I didn't see the post earlier. Plastic envelopes are great, but maybe you could try paper coin envelopes. The seed company I worked for always used them for the seeds in their breeding projects. They can't be sealed/opened/resealed like a plastic ziplock, so we'd use a paperclip, and if they had to be mailed, we'd staple them. It was also easy to use a pencil to write notes to the packet (won't run if the packet gets wet) and change the notes as needed. Whenever we ran out, we'd run down to the local office supply and pick up a few hundred. Anyone else use coin envelopes? They certainly solve the static problem.

I dislike those baby ziplocks for seed storage. Static cling is just one of the reasons. There's also no room to write seed info (even the ones that have those frosted windows for the purpose). And I'm always afraid of trapping moisture inside them when they're sealed shut.

I used to make my own, when all I had to worry about was a couple of dozen packets. But nowadays, where my seed trades and sales number in the hundreds, I use the commercial coin envelopes, which I find both cheaper and more efficent than the mini-ziplocks.

I use the paper coin envelopes too.You can even run them through your printer to make a nice presentation.If I get seeds in the little zip locks,I'll put them in the paper ones. But since I rarely trade anymore,that isn't much of an issue.

I do prefer the paper to plastic.If you put your seed envelopes on your larger file container with a couple packs of silica gel,they will be safer from outside humidity.Also,if you trade much,some folks don't know that seeds have to be very dry to package...not just 'look' dry.This can be a problem with plastic.

I've also bought glassine envelopes for seeds - they're lightweight and see-through. I picked some 2x2"s up on eBay for a reasonable price - they're superior to coin envelopes when space is an issue.

:o) Judith

Thank you...

What I like about the zip bags is that
1)you can see how much is inside
2)you can take some out and reseal the rest
3)the seeds are protected from moisture (hermetically sealed?)
4)the bags are only about 1/2 a cent a bag from VeriPack.

The "cling" is the problem, but I found out if you chill the bag in the fridge, the static is not too bad. I also like Legit's idea about mixing with soil or sand if you are broadcast seeding.

Melody...how do you run the coin envelopes through the printer? ...or do you make stickers and then put them on the envelope? That's how I label the zip bags.

Our seeds are dry when they first go into the pack. If you put a little piece of paper towel or toilet tissue inside the zip bag, will this help control any moisture, or will it dry out the seeds too much? If the seeds are already dry, is there any need for a drying agent such as silica gel?

Thanks!
SL

you want to start using Glassine envelopes.

Why is that, Mark?
Can they be resealed?

yes they can. http://www.blissweddingsmarket.com/store/000027.htm

I use return address labels (tiny - avery# 5267) for the tops of 2x3" ziplocs and for sealing glassine 2x2"s with the name of the plant on them.

I also make a larger shipping label for the 2x3" ziplocs with the germination/culture info on one side and folded over the other side, a 1" or so photo and room to keep track of quantity.

Comes in handy if you have far too many seeds to remember what seeds need sowing when, special treatment, where you got them, etc. ...

:o) Judith

Sillylily: I am guessing that the tiny seeds are the issue with static cling. I add a bit of sand to the envelopes when I am ready to plant, and that takes care of the cling, as well as helping to spread the seeds evenly.

I make my inner seed packets out of wax paper... a bit time consuming, I admit, but they serve me well. I've received seeds packaged in those small envelopes that are somwhat like my waxpaper ones, but larger and shaped like a conventional envelope. Though good looking, the seeds tend to escape around the corners. Whatever one uses, the seeds need to stay in the envelopes when mailed out, just as they need to come out of the envelopes once received. Stubborn little devils, aren't they!

Butchpoodle, could you share the template, or tell us how to accomplish the 2x3 label with picture and growing instructions? I want to share some seeds with folks who don't have a clue, and this would be helpful!! Thanks, Legit

There is a post here that has an insert for the little ziplocks. I have found that when they have a piece of paper in them that it does seem to cut down on the amount of static cling. Doesn't solve it completely, but it does help.

http://davesgarden.com/t/410161/
Alice

That is fabulous, Alice - just great. One of the nicest seed packets I've gotten from buying seeds on eBay is from seedrack - and they use something similar. A nice color photo and the name. Yours is even better. Theirs are the 2x2" ziplocs, but I - like you - use the 2x3" or 3x4" ...

I will post the template for the labels I use when I return from my vacation ... :o) We're going to visit snow since it doesn't visit us around here ...

:o) Judith

Thanks for the compliment, but I didn't make them they were made by the person who had started the other thread.
I agree with you that they are very nice.